User blog:AlbertEpstein/Interview with Ren Rong and Scott, Best Miller, Best Group
Hello Expanse fans! We're glad you came to this blog entry page! This is an ongoing series of fan profiles. Once again we have a special treat for you. I've managed to get Ren Rong to set aside some time with Scott to answer some questions for us. Ren is one half of the team that brought us the amazing cosplay of "Miller and Julie on Eros reimagined" for the Halloween contest on Twitter. Members of the production team voted Scott the "Best Miller" and together he and Ren were awarded the "Best Group" cosplay. Here is what they had to say ⸻'Tell us something about yourself. Where do you call home?' We're true blue Earthers. Scott (Miller) is from Minnesota, but we're both based in Singapore for the foreseeable future. But really, home is in front of our computers - we’re addicts, the both of us. ⸻'How long have you been a fan? When did it start? Did someone bring it to you and you embraced it immediately or did you need some convincing? What moment convinced you this was something you liked?' We started somewhere in the first season (we don't remember where) and then we binged. I needed some convincing at first, since Scott has a penchant for shows that are fairly wordy... West Wing , Star Trek: TNG , Justified - he's made me watch these shows, and I've enjoyed them a lot, but I don't naturally gravitate towards them. I'm quite comfortable with goofy stuff actually. As for the moment that had me hooked: it was Miller's hair - he wears it with panache. Also, I have a soft spot for downtrodden detectives. As for Scott, he was delighted to find that the writers of the show never resorted to having any characters hold ‘the idiot ball’ in their storytelling. ⸻'Do you both read the books and both watch the show?' We haven't started on the books yet! Part of the reason is that our reading speeds are quite different, and neither of us wants to be left behind plot-wise in any medium that we're into - this is why we usually watch shows together; so we're sharing the moment together. I've heard that the audiobook is good though, so we'll probably give that a try first. ⸻'In your online presence, (Facebook, Twitter, & your website "pupuren.com"), you share a lot of beautiful photography from travel and style. You indicated that the Expanse is your first cosplay, it seems you took a leap and brought together something you've loved for years and combined it with a new love of the Expanse. Tell me something about the instinct to bring those two things, style and The Expanse, together.' First of all, thank you! I'm a sucker for bittersweet what-ifs and endings, so imagining happier endings for tragic characters is something I tend to do. Mao and Miller's star-crossed paths were powerful for me and evoked a desire to give them a kinder fate. I like cosplay from a distance and had never done it before. This looked like a way to cosplay without going to a con and having to roleplay for hours on end. Hey, it also wound up giving me a great photoshoot opportunity. I’ve been meaning to experiment more with my blog and this helped. ⸻'It seems you brought your creative eye from your blog to the Expanse. How was the project divided between the two of you? Which ideas were who's? Which of the bits of toil and "elbow grease" belonged to him and which bits belonged to you?' I DID ALL THE THINGS. (Scott is making protest-faces) Honestly, I wouldn't have done it without him because it was the story I wanted to tell. But, he contributes significantly - he helps set up shots, he helps direct and cultivate mood and atmosphere. I crafted both the concept and Julie's outfit. Scott just happens to already own and wear outfits essentially identical to Miller's (he didn't buy a single prop, he already owned everything in the shots). In fact, a friend, upon seeing the photos, mused that Scott seemed to be cosplaying as himself. ⸻'Why did you pick the character you did, Julie? Do you relate to a heroic moment for her share a more tragic?' I mentioned earlier that I’m susceptible to bittersweet endings. But also because Asian. ⸻'What do you think is the most defining moment for the character?' She doesn’t get a lot of screentime, but I’d have to say that it was when she started turning blue. ⸻'What other character from the Expanse do you relate to?' Oh man I relate more to one of those nameless characters who stay the hell away from pain, trouble, and politics than to any named character in the series. Scott is an unfortunate cross between and - with the flaws of both and the virtues of neither. His words, not mine. ⸻'Was the decision to do Miller one you made at the same time you chose Julie?' Yup. ⸻'How did you choose the scene you wanted to create?' I’d imagine that if the both of them had met in any other circumstance they could have hit it off fairly well. This was a doodle that I showed Scott when I planned this:My initial idea was to incorporate the bomb as a table, but we didn’t find a beer keg of a suitable size, I had to return two strings of blue fairy lights because they were defunct, and our schedules changed so that we didn’t even get to go to the location I’d originally scouted... but it all worked out in the end despite almost everything not turning out the way I’d planned. ⸻'Are you interested in any other science fiction franchise?' I like robots and zombies. Scott finds that space as an exploratory vessel offers a huge creative potential in storytelling in general, and so he likes that. He’s made me watch quite a bit of Sci-fi ever since we met, in fact. Data and Odo are my favourite Star Trek characters. ⸻'What do you see as special about the Expanse that you don't normally find in similar fiction? Is there something you saw to adapt from this world by James S.A. Corey that you haven't found in other stories?' Scott loves that the story reminds him of the Pelopennesian War, and that every aspect of the show seems believable - the physics, the motives, the behaviours of characters, the triage of values in governments and organisations. The only things that is unbelievable is the Protonolecule, and it is treated as unbelievable in the story. As for me, I really really like Miller’s hair. But I also love the aesthetics and how to-the-point the plot gets - the drama is a natural consequence of circumstance rather than forced upon characters for the sake of spectacle. ⸻'I find much of what you share online to be eclectic and irreverent. However, there's a line where you mention something about your name that is pretty dark, the type of tree that is your namesake is semi-parasitic. What I found intriguing is you took a sad moment and made it almost hopeful. This is what I mean -- You did something different with your cosplay. In your own words, you've re-imagined the meeting of two characters. You took something tragic and turned it into something a little bit optimistic. Is that a good interpretation of what you did?' Yea! Also they looked like they could use a drink. ⸻'You wrote about building your cosplay and went into some detail about your process and challenges. Is there a particular challenge that you want to share to those fans of your cosplay who missed your writeup?' MARRY SOMEONE MORE WILLING TO HELP. ⸻'Who was the photographer?' A friend who got roped into it at the last minute. I’m usually the one composing the shots when it’s just myself and Scott, but I relax my grip on the reins when I know that the other party is experienced with the equipment. It was fun to see how this friend had composed these pictures! He comes from a film background and so we had quite a few over-the-shoulder shots. I’d never have thought of that myself. Scott would like to lay claim on the Julie Mao close-up shot, and I took the opportunity to snap some photos of him solo and of our friend. ⸻'Next to your own cosplay, whose entry do you like the most?' Oh man there were so many good ones! Chris Mentrek's pet soybean got me to laugh out loud with the unexpected interpretation of 'pet', so it's one of my personal favourites. I was also very impressed with Emily Creasman’s Julie and would love to see those LEDs pulse. Scott was very impressed by how uncanny Hanne Paine looked as Alex. ⸻'In addition to Florence Faivre who portrayed Julie Mao on the show, what one other person from TV production do you think you'd be most excited meeting?' Scott would like Shohreh Aghdashloo to just... speak AT him. As for me I’m quite interested in learning from the propmasters and set-builders! ⸻'What are your hopes, expectations and fears for the coming season? What is something you want to happen to the characters? What is something you hope doesn't happen to the characters?' We’re just along for the ride, but we’d like ‘six seasons and a movie’! ⸻'What do you tell friends who you want to have try the Expanse?' I usually just push Scott in front of me to do the talking - he has an infectious way of affecting people with his enthusiasm, and I'm there to provide supplementing keypoints. I'm actually pretty bad at describing things when I'm not writing, probably because I'm too lazy to use words in realtime. ⸻'what kinds of lessons, messages or take-aways do you believe most people bring out of the Expanse? good and bad?' I quote Scott, “We must reach beyond the cradle of Earth - we must venture out of this nest, and see if we can fly.” ⸻'What other things are you interested in? What other endeavors are you working on that fans would want to check out?' I went to a Halloween lunch party as casual Julie Meow and dipped my face in some Protomolecule: Hmm, those mottled markings on my face and neck were supposed to be blue freckles! I was quite disappointed in how they turned out because I wasn’t able to create a brighter blue with what makeup I had, and in hindsight I really should have gone with cat ears and cat makeup to really bring the punchline, but that’s a lesson learnt for next time. Hmm, we’re currently working on our new apartment, and have been planning for room designs since July! Brand new apartments in Singapore are virtually husks - uneven cement floor, no lights, no cabinets... so we’ve got our work cut out for us. I wouldn’t say that it’s something fun, but I am looking forward to finally being able to sit at a proper desk (instead of at a dresser table), on a proper chair (instead of the bed), and perhaps get inspired to practice my rusty drawing skills or some new craft I currently don’t have the space for. Space is a luxury here sadly. I’m going to miss the neighbourhood cats once we move! Two in particular have really warmed up to us lately, and usually come running to get their ears scratched. I’m tempted to kidnap them but they kinda belong to one of the neighbours and are used to being outdoor cats anyway. I’m afraid I don’t have much fan-related stuff. Real life has been hectic! Thank you very much, Ren, for allowing us this in-depth peek into your weird, unique, crazy life. Be sure to visit her website for even more in-depth pictures of the making of her cosplay. See also Expanse Halloween Cosplay Contest File: ExpanseHalloweenCosplay2017 11-00.jpg File: ExpanseHalloweenCosplay2017 11-01.jpg File: ExpanseHalloweenCosplay2017 11-02.jpg File: ExpanseHalloweenCosplay2017 11-03.jpg File: ExpanseHalloweenCosplay2017 11-04.jpg File: ExpanseHalloweenCosplay2017 11-05.jpg External links Category:Blog posts